Hi Bret, I sail Superior, although I've never done the
route you propose. I'm based out of Thunder Bay, ON, and mostly sail the Canadian north and east shore.
As you already know,
Lake Superior is not to be trifled with. It is a lake in name only. In every way except having
salt water, it is really an inland sea. Due to the continental location of the
Great Lakes,
weather tends to be quite variable, so watch out for rapidly moving cold fronts, as well as thunder storms (especially on the south shore).
I've never sailed your proposed route. A glance at the
charts suggests it is pretty open, with few
anchorages or places to get off should things get ugly. Looking at the
Great Lakes Cruising Club harbour reports, there is one anchorage at Presque Isle River. Other than that there are just a couple of
marinas available to you along the way. I'd recommend that, along with the proper
charts, you get a hold of Bonnie Dahl's Superior Way guide book. It is the bible for cruisers up here. She lists all the viable anchorages and
marinas.
Personally, if this was my first trip on Superior in a
small boat, I would
head into the Apostles. There are far more anchorages available, and the islands will offer shorter hops with much more protection should all hell break loose.